Nottingham-Adelaide Joint PhD studentships in the University of Nottingham / EPSRC Thematic doctoral training programme in Astropharmacy, Astromedicine, Astrofoods/health and Astrofarming

Reference

SCI2058

Closing Date

Friday, 18th March 2022

Department

Astropharmacy, Astromedicine, Astrofoods/health and Astrofarming

Supervisor: Professor Ian Fisk

Secondary Supervisor: Professor Phil Williams, School of Pharmacy and Professor Volker Hessel (Adelaide)

How will we travel to, colonize, and sustain healthy life on Mars? At a time when the world’s space agencies have formed the Global Exploration Roadmap for the long-term human habitation of the planet, this doctoral training programme is focused on addressing this grand challenge. Findings will also be applicable for more classical terrestrial applications on earth.
“We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.” – William Anders
This goal cannot be achieved within one research group or within one discipline and requires a fundamentally new approach to scientific research, bridging global research groups and scientific disciplines. We will do that from the viewpoint of, and using our expertise in, agricultural engineering, plant chemistry, food chemistry, food processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing & formulation, and sustainability.
Be prepared to travel, as your JOINT NOTTINGHAM-ADELAIDE PhD will consist of 12 months at the University of Adelaide in addition to your time at the University of Nottingham. This will give you access to supervisors, technologies, equipment, skills and training that you simply cannot achieve in a standard PhD, ultimately training you as a global scientist ready to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. You can find out more about the programme and the experience of the 30+ other students studying for joint PhD here: nottingham.ac.uk/global/partnerships/featured/adelaide.aspx
PhD topics include: (UK candidates ONLY) 4 year PhD studentship
• Determining extremophiles biological extremities with fluorescent nanosensors
• Bioelectrochemical synthesis of molecules in space
• Space WOrMS whole organism metabolomics
• Astrosoils: Unravelling the complexities of the inner space of Martian soil for the benefits of soil health on Earth
• Precision LEDs for astrofarming for optimised plant physiology
PhD topics include: (UK and international candidates) 3 year PhD studentship+ up to 12 months for thesis submission
• Developing cosmic-ray and microgravity stable liquid medicinal nanoformulations
• Sourcing medicinal excipient materials of interest in extreme environments from local resources
• Enrichment of space-grown plants with medicinal compounds
• Indoor environment design to stimulate astronaut cognition
Each PhD topic will involve multiple academic supervisors from different disciplines and you will be exposed to a broad range of activities including opportunities to interact and collaborate with industrial partners and the NASA Ames Research Centre. You may also have the opportunity to ‘fly your thesis’ via the ESA or a commercial partner.
If your degree is in a relevant life sciences/biosciences/physical/engineering sciences discipline, and you have a masters degree, or Australian 4 years Honours degree (or equivalent), this could be the programme for you. Applicants should also have a passion for interdisciplinary research. For more information, contact the academic leads: Professor Phil Williams, School of Pharmacy (Nottingham) and Professor Ian Fisk, School of Biosciences (Nottingham) and Professor Volker Hessel (Adelaide).
Both Universities are world leading research intensive universities. The University of Nottingham is ranked 103rd in the world and 18th in the UK in the QS World University Rankings 2022. It is also ranked as a UK top 20 university in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022. The University of Adelaide is ranked 108th in the 2022 QS World University Rankings and is a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8) which comprises Australia's most research intensive universities.
You must have a subject relevant masters degree or Australian 4 years Honours degree (or equivalent), with at least a Merit or 2:1 with evidence of conducting a significant research project. Minimum English language requirements apply (IELTS 6.5 overall with no band less than 6.0, or recognized equivalent).

Keyword Search
Space research; Pharmacy; Medicine; Health; Farming

Award Start Date: ASAP

Duration of Award: 36 or 48 months

Terms and Conditions

Please note that some projects are only open to UK candidates.

Applicant Qualification Requirements

You must have a subject relevant masters degree or Australian 4 years Honours degree (or equivalent), with at least a Merit or 2:1 with evidence of conducting a significant research project. Minimum English language requirements apply (IELTS 6.5 overall with no band less than 6.0, or recognized equivalent).

How to Apply

To apply please send your CV, unofficial transcripts (details of University grades/predicted grades) together with the names and contact details of two referees to [email protected] . Please also provide a covering letter to indicate your interests, why you are applying to the programme, and what research project you are attracted to and why.